Rustic Cranberry and Apple Tart!… and a few Scarecrows…

October 7, 2008 by 49 Comments

Fall is definitely in the air!! The leaves are beginning to change, I’m starting to put the heat on to take the chill out of the house, and the flannel sheets and heating blankets are ready to go!

I love putting my oven on this time of year, it warms up the house while the aromas are
filling the air!
Having recently bought a bunch of apples, and after seeing numerous apple creations in the blogoshere, I decided on making this free form tart. I love using those dried cranberries with apples, they go so good together. In fact, who was the brilliant person who thought of packaging dried cranberries? Whoever it was, was a genius!

Pastry for the Tart
1 1/4 c. Flour
1/3 c. of Almond Meal Flour
1/4 c. Sugar
1/3 c. of Cold Butter
2 Egg Yolks
2 Tbl. Milk
Mix the flours, and the sugar together. Cut in your cold butter, till it resembles small pea’s. Gradually stir in the yolks. When dough comes together wrap it and refrigerate it for couple of hours. This is key, because the butter needs to get really cold again, otherwise you can’t even roll it out, it will stick. You could even do this the night before, or early in the day.

Peel and slice 3 cups of apples, flavor them with a little cinnamon and sugar according to your sweetness. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the cranberries to this.

When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment, and heat your oven to 375.
Take the pastry dough out and divide it in half. You’ll be making 2 tarts from this. Work quickly on a floured surface and roll out the dough, place it on the parchment, and fill with apple mixture leaving a border so you can fold up the sides. Brush on some apricot preserves on top of the apples, and a little milk over the dough to get it nice and golden. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Cool it down a bit before cutting, but serve it warm!

I think the almond flour is what really makes this stand out, so really you have to put it in, otherwise it won’t taste the same.

Over the weekend we went to the Morton Arboretum, they had a Fall Color Festival, and a 5k going on. I thought I’d share with you some nature themed scarecrows that were created by the local Girl Scout troops. They were so cute!

Elvis, with his pumpkin head

Daisy girl

The Count, with all his bats!!

This was so cute, Hannah “Bloomtanna”/ Miley “Cyprus”

And lastly, Pirates of “the Arboretum”!! They did a great job didn’t they?
Buon Appetito!!

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49 Comments Filed Under: Desserts, Fall Tagged: , , ,

Polenta with Spicy Sausage and Beans, and a Black Pepper Focaccia!!

October 2, 2008 by 54 Comments

Comfort food doesn’t have to take all day, this meal was cooked up in no time using just a few staples that I always have stocked in my pantry. With polenta that cooks up in 5 minutes, canned beans, and some good canned tomatoes, this could easily be done in minutes for a nice midweek meal!

Brown up your Italian sausage (either spicy or mild) in a large saute pan in a little olive oil till it’s crispy, add some fresh crushed garlic, cook till golden, now add some good canned tomatoes, I love Carmelina brand for this, they have a San Marzano Italian cherry tomato in juice, that hold their shape, and are so sweet! Simmer with the sausage till cooked through.

Now add some rinsed and drained beans of your choice, along with some fresh snipped herbs. Cook until all the flavors infuse. Start your quick polenta in another pan, and when its done, layer your sausage and beans on top.


For years my family has loved a black pepper focaccia that I would always pick up at my favorite Italian store, that has recently closed after being in business for over 30 years! I’m so sad! We miss you, D’ Andrea’s!

Anyway, this is my quickie version. Take some pizza dough, either store bought or homemade.

Roll it out, but keep it thick, drizzle with olive oil, and put lots of crushed black pepper all over. Make your dimples on top and push the pepper into the dough. You can leave it just like that, or in this case I added Kalamata olives and some snipped rosemary to it. Bake 400, till nice and golden, but still soft like a focaccia.

Buon Appetito, and Have A Great Weekend!!

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Butternut Squash Lasagna w/ Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bechemal!!

September 29, 2008 by 55 Comments

I’m a late bloomer in my love for butternut squash. I never wanted to cut up a big squash like that and bake it, I’d rather have a sweet potato! . But then a couple years ago I had the most amazing soup made of butternut squash, and I was hooked!

I started to see it everywhere in magazines, and on cooking shows. I saw it in souffle’s, gratin’s, ravioli’s, in grain’s, pasta dishes. I saw it roasted, maple glazed, pureed, in tart’s, and even in muffin’s and cakes! Suddenly it seemed it was so in vogue!! How come I never noticed this awesome vegetable before? Whats wrong with me?

And guess what! It’s one of those power foods, high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beta carotene. I’m sure by now all of you have tried this versatile vegetable, but in case you haven’t, go out and get some, please! You won’t be disappointed.

Which brings me to this lasagna I made over the weekend. I have to admit Hubby wasn’t all that excited when I told him I was making a butternut squash lasagna. He gave me a look like, “Huh.” He’s typically a lasagna purist with the red sauce, but I knew he would love this, and he did!

After searching on the Internet and picking bits and pieces of different recipes I came up with this. I liked the idea of garlic in the sauce, but I thought roasted garlic would make the flavor even more intense, and as it turned out I think it really made the whole dish!

I roasted the garlic a day ahead, as I knew I was going to make this. It also calls for no -boil lasagna, which I’m still of the old school boil kind, and I’m not convinced I like them yet. They are very convenient and fast though. Here I used the Barilla brand. What are your thoughts on no- boil ??

INGREDIENTS:
About 3lbs. of peeled, seeded, squash in 1/2 in. slices
2 Heads of Roasted Garlic
1 Box of No-Boil Lasagna
Parmesan Cheese around 1 1/2 cups
Bechemal Sauce
First, you need to roast your squash in a hot oven at 425 degrees. till tender. Make sure you drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper. It will probably take about 25 mins.
In the meantime make a pot of bechemel by melting 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter and then mixing in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour, keep whisking, then squeeze in your roasted garlic, add salt and black pepper.
Pour about 5 cups of milk in and whisk till thick. When squash is cooked, stir it into the sauce along with the rosemary ( about 1 tbl.) and half of the Parmesan cheese.
IMPORTANT TIP HERE:I would have liked to had a little more sauce, the noodles soaked it up as it cooked, so you might want to make more. Next time I will.
Reduce oven temp to 375F. Layer it like you would any lasagna. Spray your baking dish, layer the noodles, and spread the sauce mixture all over, and sprinkle with cheese. Continue layering till done. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Cover with foil. Bake around 35 to 40 mins. Uncover and cook till golden brown.
The roasted garlic sauce infused with rosemary, complimented the squash so well, it was heavenly!
Buon Appetito!!
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55 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Vegetables Tagged: , ,